Worksheet


Use index notation to write squares such as 2², 3², 4².

Recognise: squares of numbers

Use vocabulary from previous years and extend to:

index, indices, index notation, index law…

Use index notation for small integer powers.

For example:

144
= 38486

Know that x0

1, for all values of x. =

Know that: 101

110 = 0.1 102 = 1100 = 0.01 =

Know how to use the xy key on a calculator to calculate

powers.

Use ICT to estimate square roots or cube roots to the

required number of decimal places. For example:

Estimate the solution of x

70. =

The positive value of x lies between 8 and 9, since 82

64 and 92 = 81. =

Try numbers from 8.1 to 8.9 to find a first

approximation lying between 8.3 and 8.4.

Next try numbers from 8.30 to 8.40.

Investigate problems such as:

Estimate the cube root of 20. The outside of a cube made from smaller cubes is painted blue.

How many small cubes have 0, 1, 2 or 3 faces painted blue?

Investigate. Three integers, each less than 100, fit the equation

a2 + b2

c2. =

What could the integers be?

Recognise that:

indices are added when multiplying, e.g.

43 × 42

(4 × 4 × 4) × (4 × 4) =

4 × 4 × 4 × 4 × 4 =

45 = 4(3 + 2) =

indices are subtracted when dividing, e.g.

45 ÷ 42

(4 × 4 × 4 × 4 × 4) ÷ (4 × 4) =

4 × 4 × 4 =

43 = 4(5 2) =

42 ÷ 45

4(2 5) = 43 =

75 ÷ 75

70 = 1 =

Generalise to algebra. Apply simple instances of the

index laws (small integral powers), as in: n2 × n3

n2 + 3 = n5 p3 ÷ p2 = p3 2 = p =



Squaring a number
32 means ‘3 squared’, or 3 x 3.
The small
2 is an index number, or power. It tells us how many times we should multiply 3 by itself.
Similarly 7
2 means ‘7 squared’, or 7 x 7.
And 10
2 means ‘10 squared’, or 10 x 10.
So, 1
2

1 x 1

1
22

2 x 2

4
32

3 x 3

9
Etc.
1, 4, 9, 16, 25… are known as square numbers.
Square roots
The opposite of a square number is a square root.
We use the symbol to mean square root.
So we can say that = 2 and = 5.
However, this is not the whole story, because -2 x -2 is also 4, and -5 x -5 is also 25.
So, in fact, = 2 or -2. And = 5 or -5.
Remember that every positive number has two square roots.

Cubing a number
2 x 2 x 2 means ‘2 cubed’, and is written as 23.
1
3

1 x 1 x 1

1
23

2 x 2 x 2

8
33

3 x 3 x 3

27
Etc
1, 8, 27, 64, 125… are known as cube numbers.
Cube roots
The opposite of a cube number is a cube root. We use the symbol to mean cube root.
So is 2 and is 3.
Each number only has one cube root.



Index notation
Index notation is used to represent powers, for example
a
2 means a × a and here the index is 2
b
3 means b × b × b and here the index is 3
c
4 means c × c × c × c and here the index is 4
etc.
When there is a number in front of the variable:
4d
2 means 4 × d × d.
2e
3 means 2 × e × e × e






Index laws
Multiplying and dividing
When multiplying you add the indices, and when dividing you subtract the indices.
So it follows that:
p
3 × p7

p

10, and s5 ÷ s3

s2
For the expression:
4s
3 x 3s2
The numbers in front of the variables follow the usual rules of multiplication and division, but index numbers follow the rules of indices. So we multiply 4 and 3 and add 3 and 2
4s
3 × 3s2 = 12s5
Question
What is 3c2 × 5c4?

Answer
To work it out:
  • Add the indices:
  • 2 + 4 = 6
  • Multiply the numbers in front of the variable:
  • 3 x 2
  • Answer:
  • 3c2 × 5c4 = 15c6
Take care when multiplying and dividing expressions such as y × y4 or z3 ÷ z.
y is the same as y
1, so y × y4 = y5.
z is the same as z
1, so z3 ÷ z = z2.

Adding and subtracting
You can only add and subtract ‘like terms’.
3, 4 and 20 are all like terms (because they are all numbers).
a, 3a and 200a are all like terms (because they are all multiples of a).
a
2, 10a2 and -2a2 are all like terms (because they are all multiples of a2)
You cannot simplify an expression like 4p + p
2 because 4p and p2 are not like terms.
But you can simplify 3r
2 + 5r2 + r2.
3r
2 + 5r2 + r2 tells us that we have ‘three lots of r2’ + ‘five lots of r2’ + ‘one lot of r2’ - so in total ‘nine lots of r2’, or 9r2.
So, 3r
2 + 5r2 + r 2 = 9r2
Question
What is s2 + 8s2 - 2s2?

Answer
Answer: 7s2
Remember that 1 + 8 - 2 = 7, so s
2 + 8s2 - 2s2 = 7s2
Remember that if we have a mix of terms we must gather like terms before we simplify.
Example
3p
2 + 2p + 4 - 2p2 + 5 = 3p2 - 2p2 + 2p + 4 + 5 = p2 + 2p + 9


Substitution
You might be asked to substitue a number into an expression.
For example , what is the value of 4p
3 when p = 2?
We know that 4p
3 means 4 × p × p × p, so when p = 2 we substitute this into the expression: 4 × 2 × 2 × 2 (or 4 × 23) = 32
Question
What is the value of 4y2 - y, when y = 3?










Using a calculator

A calculator can be used to work out one number to the power of another.
The index button is usually marked
xy or yx.
Sometimes you need to press
SHIFT or 2ndF
to use this button
For example, to calculate 54, you may need to press

You should find out which buttons you need to use on your calculator.
Make sure that you get the correct answer of 625 for the calculation above.



















TEST
Name Date

1. s² means:

s x s

s + s

2s



2. 2w² means:


2w x 2w

2 x w x w

4w



3. y
7 x y2 is the same as:

y5


y9


y14



4. y
10 ÷ y2 is the same as:

y5


y8


y20



5. Simplify 4w
6 x 2w2

6w8


8w12


8w8





6. Simplify 14h8 ÷ 2h2

7h4


7h6


12h6



7. Simplify p x 2p
2 x 5p3

7p5


10p5


10p6



8. What's the value of 4k
2 when k = 5?

20

100

400



9. What's the value of 2j
2 + j when j = 3?

21

39

400



10. What's the value of 2p
2 + p3 - p when p = 2?

14

22

40







1. Find some triples of whole numbers a, b and c such that a2+b2+c2 is a multiple of 4. Is it necessarily the case that a, b and c must all be even? If so, can you explain why?

2. What can you say about the values of n that make

7 n + 3 n a multiple of 10?

Are there other pairs of integers between 1 and 10 which have similar properties?